On August 25th, exactly two months after setting off, Graham Pollard became the first person to scooter across the United States. He completed the 4,000-mile journey on a Segway Ninebot KickScooter Max traveling at a max speed of 18.6 mph. The venture mostly followed the TransAmerica Trail, a bike route from coast to coast.
Chasing Pollard across the country, Christian Boyle and Brandon Bedford drove a 1990 Westfalia van with spare scooters, chargers, camping gear, and much more. For the scooter crossing, Segway gave the trio six electric scooters to use so they would not have to stop and recharge as often. The Ninebot scooters get about a 25-mile range. Graham says that even the large climbs they made like Hoosier Pass (Colorado) and Lolo Pass (Montana/Idaho) were a piece of cake on the scooter.
While the scooters proved to be extremely reliable, unfortunately, the same could not be said for their van. The three friends all agree that the low point of the trip was when their van broke down near Denver, CO. After a week of repairing the van, the crew was on the road again heading West. Pollard says that the hospitality and friendly locals along the way made for many great stories and experiences.
Scootering For A Cause
While Pollard aimed to be the first to scooter coast to coast, he also wanted to scooter for an organization near and dear to him. Graham set out to raise money for William Lawrence Camp (WLC), an overnight summer camp for boys. As a kid, Graham went to WLC for five years and later returned as a staff member for three years. The camp, along with thousands of others, did not open this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. William Lawrence first opened in 1913 and has not had to close for a single summer until now. Graham set up a GoFundMe page for the camp to help the non-profit organization get through these difficult times.
“I would never have had the confidence, ambition, or skills to embark on this trip if it wasn’t for my experience at WLC.”
– Graham Pollard
- Related: 2020: The Summer of No Camps
